In a public toilet on the promenade in the 15th microdistrict of Aktau, local residents discovered children sleeping on the floor. According to them, the toilet room and the adjoining storage area are being used by a large family as temporary accommodation. Young children and teenagers were sleeping on mattresses laid out on the floor. Meanwhile, witnesses claim that tickets are being sold to visitors by an intoxicated cashier.
"We were shocked by what we saw there. Firstly, the cashier – a woman who was clearly drunk – took payment from us. And inside, children were lying and sleeping right on the floor. Soon, a man with a child and another woman, also intoxicated, came in. They started arguing with us and forbade us from filming what was happening on our phones. It is outrageous, especially for a public place where families with children come to relax," a resident of Aktau told journalists from Lada.kz.
Residents have expressed concern and have appealed to the city authorities via the media.
"I really hope the city authorities take action. After all, this is a public place; there are always lots of holidaymakers there. What if a teenager goes in there? It's not safe. Or a tourist – what impression will they be left with? There's a hotel right next to the toilet," the witnesses to the situation said.
Journalists intend to find out which body is responsible for the public toilet, why people are living on its premises, and what measures the city akimat is taking to resolve the problem.
Incidentally, in December 2024, Aktau was officially declared the cultural capital of the Turkic world for 2025. At a press conference in the Central Communications Service (CCS), the akim of the Mangystau Region, Nurdaulet Kilybai, stated that the regional centre of Mangystau would be under the special attention of the whole world throughout the year.
The region has scheduled concerts of classical and folk music, exhibitions and festivals for the year ahead. It is expected that this will help to demonstrate the ties between Turkic-speaking peoples, as well as to present Turkic culture and art.